1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of booting a computer by a flash card in multi-card reader/writer, and more particularly to a method of dynamical detecting a bootable card in multi-card reader/writer with an USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface from any one of flash card if it contains a bootable pattern.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the progressive of the semiconductor technologies, nowadays, high capacity flash memories are much cheaper than ever before. Among products of storage media, the flash memory cards may be the most pocket, miniature and a big hit with public. Furthermore, as a probable storage media, vibration problems often occur in the hard disk whereas it does not found in the flash memory cards. Therefore, the flash memory cards are often selected as one of the best candidates for MP3 player, personal digital assistor, and digital still camera. The user can store the data retrieved at outdoor, and then he or she plugs the memory card into an USB card reader and transfers the data thereof into a hard disk. The flash memory card can then be reuse just by refreshing or formatting the memory or just deleting part of files.
However, owing to main manufacturer do not formulate a universal format for fresh cards, thus a variety of flash card types or formats are popular in the memory market currently. The card formats include compact flash card (CF) type I/II, memory stick (MS), multimedia card (MMC), secure digital card (SD), smart media card (SMC) in the markets. Subsequently, there are many kinds of card readers, such as 3 in 1, 4 in 1, or 6 in 1.
Since the popularity of the USB deice, almost all of personal computers or hand-held computers activated currently BIOS (basic input output system) thereof supporting the computers booting from those USB devices such as USB-ZIP, USB-HDD, USB-FDD or USB card reader or said card reader/writer. Whereas only the flash card located at the first socket is available to boot a computer for current BIOS if a multi-socket flash card reader is desired to boot by BIOS setting. Hence, even though the 6 in 1 or 4 in 1 of USB flash card reader is convenient for user to solve the problems due to non-universal type, however, only a flash card type compliant with the first socket is available for booting. The user thus can only make the flash card have a booting pattern in booting sector if he or she wants to the computer booting from the USB card reader. Therefore, it is not inconvenient for most of users since then he or she must note the flash card type while buying flash card reader and the type of his or her favorite electronic merchandise supported.
Consequently, an object of the present invention is to provide a method to solve the forgoing problem by means of dynamic detecting the sockets of the USB flash card reader. The firmware of the USB flash card reader can make up the deficiency of the BIOS of the host. While the BIOS inquires a bootable pattern from the USB flash card reader, the firmware of the USB flash card reader can respond to the host no matter which sockets a flash card is located. Because in accordance with the present invention, the firmware will automatically detect the bootable pattern from each of flash cards which are plugged in the sockets